Defense ammo for j frame 38 cal revolvers

This is a discussion on Defense ammo for j frame 38 cal revolvers within the Defensive Ammunition & Ballistics forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; Just purchased a S&W 442. Looking for the best defense ammo. Any suggestions?...

In the 38 Special caliber, particularly in snubbies, I carry a Remington 158 grain Lead-Semi-Wad-Cutter- Hollow Point +P. It's an old school load that is still around because it works and works well. Without the hard brass jacket it expands even at the low velocities that snubs generate and drives deep enough to strike vitals.

Hard to say what's "best", but just about any +P load of 125 grains or more will be adequate. All the majors (Federal, Hornady, Rem, Speer, Win, etc.) put out some good defensive .38 stuff.

A number of us here are fond of the dated but nonetheless effective 158 gr lead semi-wadcutter hollowpoint +P - the so-called "FBI load." If the HP expands, great, and if it only deforms a bit you've still got 158 grains of bullet working for you.

I'd buy a box of each flavor you can find and see what works the best for you, in terms of accuracy and manageable recoil. Availability may be more of a driver than anything else right now.

My first choice is LSWCHP 158 g. If am shooting jacketed hollow point bullets in a snub nose I stay away from 158 g. I would look for some hollow base wad cutters for practice. Low recoil and very accurate.

I prefer more penetration, at least 15 inches, due to the fact that an attackers hands/arms will likely need to be penetrated before even reaching the torso. Just got some Doubletap 158 gr + P wadcutters for my LCR.

Buffalo Bore has some great loads for .38 Special. They are definitely worth a look. They also seem to be more available than some other brands right now. The ammo shelves in a couple LGS I frequent are still pretty bare.

"A heavily armed citizenry is not about overthrowing the government; it is about preventing the government from overthrowing liberty. A people stripped of their right of self defense is defenseless against their own government." -source

Here's a Model 642, the stainless steel version of the same configuration as the Model 442. It only ever sees a 158 grain lead semi-wadcutter. It's handled 158 grain loads to the tune of about 1200 of them since 1998 (that's just a semi-educated guess on round count). Standard velocity handloads for range time and +P for defensive carry. Mrs. bmc has pretty well adopted this revolver.